Comments for Kvicksilver's Bloghttps://agauhg.wordpress.com
Words just can't explain it...Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:51:50 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.com/Comment on Fixing the problems with “Praise to the Man” by Clean Cuthttps://agauhg.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/pttmnewlyric/#comment-11
Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:51:50 +0000http://agauhg.wordpress.com/?p=77#comment-11I think you’re definitely on the right track here. I appreciate the effort, as well as the reason behind it. Now if only we can get the verses to rhyme a bit more. I’ll have to think more about this as well.
]]>Comment on The Problem with “Praise to the Man” by Fixing the problems with “Praise to the Man” « Kvicksilver's Bloghttps://agauhg.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/problempttm/#comment-10
Sun, 04 Mar 2012 20:38:41 +0000http://agauhg.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-10[…] One of my philosophies in life, is that one shouldn’t just complain about life. If you see something that you don’t like, try to fix it. Today I’ve followed that philosophy. A year ago a wrote about the problem with the LDS hymn “Praise to the Man.” […]
]]>Comment on The Problem with “Praise to the Man” by kvicksilvermanhttps://agauhg.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/problempttm/#comment-9
Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:34:31 +0000http://agauhg.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-9Wow, that’s annoying. You should send me a personal message on facebook to let me know who it was..

WRT the song choice, there’s not much you can do except abstain from singing.

WRT “rebuking” for disagreeing with a substitute teacher’s non-doctrinal opinion, I think you may be justified in complaining either to the Institute director, or to the Stake President.

Or you could blog about the lesson and tear down the assertions.

Or you could go to a different institute class (such as one 90 degrees out of phase with reality. AKA imaginary).

]]>Comment on The Problem with “Praise to the Man” by Alex T. Valencichttps://agauhg.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/problempttm/#comment-8
Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:24:23 +0000http://agauhg.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-8We started attending the summer PoGP Institute class last night. Paul is out of town for a couple of weeks, so he had a fill-in. We were covering JS-H. The teacher started with “PttM” and it kind of went down-hill from there as a 90-minute Josepholatrous discourse that made me internally head-desk several times.

Worst was when he cited “the quality of Joseph Smith’s followers” as an example of his prophetic calling. I challenged that and was severely rebuked.

*sigh*

]]>Comment on The Parable of the Mirror by Alex T. Valencichttps://agauhg.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/parofmir/#comment-7
Sun, 29 May 2011 19:43:41 +0000http://agauhg.wordpress.com/?p=63#comment-7You could also add another fingerprint to prove that it really doesn’t matter that much.

I imagine you’d do that just to make a point. 🙂

]]>Comment on The Problem with “Praise to the Man” by kvicksilvermanhttps://agauhg.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/problempttm/#comment-6
Wed, 25 May 2011 19:44:08 +0000http://agauhg.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-6Clean Cut,

My wife is the primary chorister. I was asked to substitute for piano, and I listed my conditions. You may be stuck this go around, but as soon as the program is over you can always express your unwillingness to perform the song during a sacrament meeting. As Alex as pointed out, there may be some occasions that are appropriate (such as firesides or pageants), I just don’t feel that Sacrament meeting is one of them.

]]>Comment on The Problem with “Praise to the Man” by Clean Cuthttps://agauhg.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/problempttm/#comment-5
Wed, 25 May 2011 19:40:41 +0000http://agauhg.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-5I [am] with you. I could have practically written the post. However, as much as I’ve struggled internally with my personal thoughts about this song, I’ve had to go ahead and sing the first and third verses in primary since I’m the primary chorister and the primary program requires those two verses be sung. (In fact, it’s the “song of the month” this month church-wide.

Each time “we” sing it, I feel like I’m having to plug my nose (figuratively) to avoid my discomfort with some of the lyrics (and doctrinal issues you brought up) and just focus on the music/tune (which I do like). But maybe there is a little dishonestly there, but I’m just not sure how else to present my dilemma without making a scene. Consequently, I don’t stop to analyze the lyrics with the kids (like I do with other songs). I’ve kind of just plowed through with a tempering comment here or there. Any suggestions for me? It’s tough.

]]>Comment on The Problem with “Praise to the Man” by kvicksilvermanhttps://agauhg.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/problempttm/#comment-4
Tue, 24 May 2011 00:53:55 +0000http://agauhg.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-4Ah, Alex. Perhaps you’re trying to tell me there are some suitable venues that I could be OK with. Maybe, as long as it’s out of the hymnbook and sacrament meetings.
]]>Comment on The Problem with “Praise to the Man” by Alex T. Valencichttps://agauhg.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/problempttm/#comment-3
Mon, 23 May 2011 22:06:55 +0000http://agauhg.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-3Oh, one other thought: I love the use of “Praise to the Man” at the end of the Nauvoo Pageant because then it IS fitting. But in our Sacrament and PH/RS meetings? Eh, not so much.
]]>Comment on The Problem with “Praise to the Man” by Alex T. Valencichttps://agauhg.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/problempttm/#comment-2
Mon, 23 May 2011 22:05:53 +0000http://agauhg.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-2I remember learning on my mission about the original text of “Praise to the Man”: “Long shall his blood, which was shed by assassins, stain Illinois while the earth lauds his fame.” *sigh*

While I agree with your wife that this song is very much a eulogy of Brother Joseph, written by his grieving friend W.W. Phelps, I also agree with you. I think that words written to help assuage grief by giving credit to what Joseph had done and telling the world that the work of the Lord would move on have been taken to a level of … well, can we coin a new term and call it Josepholatry?

I think a much better example of a hymn that gives praise without bordering on worship is “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet”. This hymn places all of the focus on the blessings that God has given through prophets, rather than the blessings prophets have been to us.